Steel door construction



Nov. l5, 1932. R. A. NELSON STEEL DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 19. 19272 sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 15, 1932. R. A. NELSON STEEL DOOR CONSTRUCTIONFiled Aug. 19, 1927 2 Sxheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNITED YSTATES 'Inox A. NELSON, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIslAssIGNCR- 'Io CHICAGORAI.IaWAIrn nanIPiIN'r COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, A ConPoRATIoN orILLINoIs STEEL Doon coNs'i'ziziICTIoN Application filed August 19, 1927.lSerial 11o. 21;1,0`0.`

This invention relates to metal door constructions.

Metal doors particularly car doors are subject to extremely rough usageand in order that they may be conveniently handled cannot be too heavy.It is very diiiicu'lt to 0btain a metal door which is suiiicientlystrong to withstand all the stresses to whichit is 'likely to besubjected and at the same time have the door of the requisite lightness.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a metal door whichis of the requisite lightness and at the same time of adequatestructural strength. Y Y It is further an object of this invention toprovide a 4metal door having the afore mentioned characteristics whichis simple of construction and may be economically manufactured.

Itis also an object of this invention to provide an eiiicient metal doorwhich is so constructed that it will not collect water in any of itsjoints and thereby avoids the formation of rust.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent as the samebecomes better understood from an examination of the speciflcation andclaims in connection with the "accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 represents a front elevational View l of a metal car doorembodying this inveny tion Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionalview taken at the line 2 2 of Fig. 1,.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken at the line 3-3of Fig. 1, Y

Fig. l is a fragmentary vertical top' section showing a modified form ofthe door where in the door is hung from a track, Y

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical bottom section showing a modified formof bottom for the door, f

Fig. 6 is a similar section showing another modified form of bottom forthe door wherein the door is mounted on a track at' the bot= tom lof thedoo`rl 'and 1 A Fig. 7 1s a similar section of a similar modi -ficationReferring to the drawings morefparticularl-y, reference` character 8represents j generally a car door including in this instancethree'vertically arranged panels Y9', `11 and 12.- Panels 9 and 11having adjacent overlapping edges and panels 11 and 12 having adjacentoverlappingedg'es, said` edges extending horizontally between thevertical edges of the idoofr.

A'Z-bar 13 is riveted by a series of rivets along one of its flanges -totheupper-edge of the panel 9 for stitfening the upperedge of the door. Apair of vertical Z-bars 14 and 15,

respectively, vone for each of' the vertical edges of the door areprovided for stiffeningA lsaid edgesand are similarly riveted thereto.

The Z-bars 13,14and 15 are each disposed'- on the outside of thedoor'with their respective inner anges riveted theretol and their outerflanges extending inwardly toward the Central portion of the door.' Theopposite ends of the outer flange of the Z-bar 13 are provided withangular plates 16 and 17, respectively, which are riveted to said endsand the corresponding upper ends of the -Z-bars:14 andp15.

The lower edge of the panel 12 may be stiffened by any suitablestiiiener for example, the T-bar18.' y

Pressed steel bars 19 Vand 21 in the form of channel plates with iiangesare provided for reinforcing the door. One of these bars is provided foreach pair of overlapping edges wardly somewhat in -order that itmayproject over the upwardly'dis'posed flange ofthe bar 19, theremainder `of said panel remainn ing flush with the adjacent panel.rIlhe upper ginal edge 20 of thepanel 9 is struck outmarginal edge 11aof the panel 1l extends beneath the upwardly disposed flange of the bar19 and said flange is Vriveted between the overlapping edges of the twopanels by a Series of rivets 22. The lower flange of the bar 19 isriveted to the panel 11 by another series of rivets 23. rlhe upwardlydisposed fiange of the bar 19 being beneath the edge 2O instead of ontop of the same water will be shed by said edge and caused to flowdownwardly over said bar without any possibility of it collecting andcausing rust to form between said bar and the surface of the door.

\- -The box-like structure of the bar 19 and.

the panel beneath provides. exceptional strength and further rigidity isprovided by 19 at its ends to the outer flanges of the re- SPQCT@ Z-bars14 and 15. Y

The reinforcing bar 21 is similar in all respects to the bar 19 and isdisposed between .the overlapping edges of the panels 11 and 12 in thesame manner as said bar 19 is disposed .betweenthe overlapping edges ofthe panels 9 and 11. Likewise the bar 21 is riveted to `the panels 11and 12 and the Z-bars 14 and 15 in a manner corresponding tothe bar 19.

The Z-bar 13 at the top edge of the door may be substituted for bydiferent forms of bars, for example, a bar 22a such as shown lin Fig. 4and having a cross section similar to that of the Z-bar but beingprovided with anupper horizontal flange 23a whereby the Y door may becarried on rollers 24 supported on a track 25.

, The lower edge of the door may in place of thev T-bar 18 be providedwith a Z-bar 26 f or other form of stiener. As shown in Figs.

6 and 7 a pairof bars may be provided at ythe bottom of thepdoor forcooperating with a bottom track or anti-friction carriage therel will beapparent that the aforedescribed door is of exceptional strength withoutthe use of an excessive amount of metal.

-It will also beapparent that the door is consisting of a sheetsubstantially flat throughout its area, side .framing members formedseparately from said sheets and applied to the front and rear edges ofthe door and extending outwardly from the plane of saidsheets7 areinforcing element formed separately from said sheets and members andextending between said framing members ltop to bottom of the door witheach upper panel overlapping the one below it and each of said panelsconsisting of a sheet extending throughout the width of the door andbeing substantially fiat between its edges, separately y p formedupright framing members secured to riveting the outer portion of the webof bar the side edges of said sheets and comprising commercially rolledZ-bars, each having one iiange applied to said sheets and having theother flange spaced from said sheets, the latter mentioned flanges onsaid members projecting towards each other, and avseparately formedreinforcing element of U-cross section with flanges on its legs, saidelements eX- ,sheets forming a closed box-like girder across the door.

3. In a railway car metal door, a flat sheet VVextending from sidetoside of the door and forming a body panel, a separately formed U-likereinforcing element with flanged legs extending across said sheet withthe edge of the flange of one of its legs aligned with Vthe upper edgeof said sheet, a second flat sheet forming a body panel and positionedabove said first mentioned sheet with its lower portion overlying saidflange, securing elements through the upper portion of said p lowersheet, said ange, and the lower portion'of said upper sheet, and a lineof securjing elements through the lower flangeof said element and saidlower sheet whereby said fiat sheet and said element form aclosedboX-like girder across said door. Y

4. A railway car metal door as described in claim 3 which also includesupright framing members at the sides of said door including websextending outwardly from the plane of said door and spaced slightly fromthe ends,l

of said reinforcing element, each web having a flange spaced from thebody panel and overlying and directly secured to the web of saidreinforcing element, there being a space between the end of saidreinforcing element and said framing web to provide for drainage fromtheinterior of the box-like girder.

5. A railway car door as specified in claim `1 which also includes atransverse stiffener member extending across the bottom of the`lowermost of said panel sheets and between llO 'said side framingmembers and having elements spaced transversely of the plane ofthe doorfor mounting door supporting structure.

6. A railway car door as specified in claim 2 which also includes atransverse StiI'ener member extending across the bottom of the lowermostof said panel sheets and between said side framing members andcomprising a downwardly facing channel structure for receiving a doorsupporting anti-friction device.

In witness of the foregoing I ax my signature.

ROY A. NELSON.

